Behind Blue Eyes
by Kokailo
Summary: Candice Salvatore was adopted by Stefan Salvatore at the age of four after her parents abandonded her. But, somehow, she managed to fall for a man she wasn't supposed to fall in love with. But, how exactly did that happen?
1. So cold

**Behind blue eyes**

 _ **Chapter 1: So cold**_

 _ **A/N: I don't own anything except for my mistakes and OC.** I sometimes changed situations so it will make more sense for my story. Also, Zach is out of the picture and Damon won't fall in love with Elena. It may happen that I use phrases from the movie, but I'll try to keep that to a minimum and only do it when I think it is fitting enough. This takes place at season 1._

A loud sigh escaped her lips as she slammed her head against the desk. A deep chuckle was heard behind her and she slowly lifted her head up, staring into the mirror that was hanging above her desk with a gold frame around it.

Her reflection showed a young girl, blonde curly locks framing her face and a pair of blue eyes drifted to the man standing in the doorway, who was looking back at her through the mirror with a genuine smile on his face. As he neared, she could make out the bowl he was holding in his hand and he placed it on the desk as soon as he reached her.

As she looked into the bowl, she could see pieces of her favorite fruit laying in there: grapes, strawberries, apple and mango. The man placed a sweet kiss on the top of her head, "Don't overwork yourself, okay? Studying for hours without a break is as effective as not studying at all." He said with a smile and she chuckled.

"I won't." She said and then looked at the book laying in front of her that displayed text she didn't understand at all. The man was about to walk away and leave her be, when she called out to him: "Stefan, can you please explain this to me?" She said and he stopped in his tracks, turning back around again and looking over her shoulder to see what she was talking about.

She was studying history at the moment, which didn't come very natural to her. She just didn't have that much interest in history, after all, the past is in the past, right? Yet, deep down, she felt slightly obligated since the man that has been taking care of her as long as she can remember, has actually lived there in the past.

Yes, sometimes a vampire of over 160 years old could be quite useful to explain history to you. Closer to the truth you couldn't get with that. So, there he was, explaining everything in great detail as to what she had to know, and only focusing on that. Telling it interesting enough for her not to get bored and sharing situations with her that happened in the past.

A half hour later, she understood more of the subject than the days of studying did. She thanked him for both the fruit and the help with a grateful smile and then finally asked him the question that she had wanted to ask for a while now.

"So, tell me, how did that goofy smile get on your face?" She said, noticing how much happier he had been lately. Nearly everyday she woke up to see him smiling, making her wonder what she had missed out on.

Stefan told her about the girl he met, Elena Gilbert was her name, and how they were slowly growing closer. At first, she was really happy for him, because after all those years, he deserved some happiness. Yet, after he saw Elena's picture, she got a little doubtful. She was more than up-to-date with his past, and happened to know a girl that looked just like Elena. So she couldn't help but wonder if that's why he liked her.

Yet, she also knew that it was none of her business, so she just kept quiet and instead focused on the joy that she felt to see her caregiver happy. Stefan had taken her in when she was just four years old, wandering around in the woods late at night, crying, after she came downstairs only to find the house empty, parents gone. Stefan had found her in the woods, and when he discovered that her parents left her on her own, he decided to take her in and take care of her. And now ten years later, he was still happily making sure that she was feeling happy and loved.

She didn't see him as a parent, more like an older brother. And she was forever grateful to him, for taking her in and raising her like she was his own sister. Sure, the fact that he was a vampire, looking for bunnies to drain of their blood that night that he found her was a strange thought. Yet, it didn't bug her very much. Stefan made sure to tell her as soon as he knew she could handle the truth, which had been around six years ago. She had known him too well by now to see him as a monster.

She was aware of the fact that this Elena girl didn't know what he was yet, so she could only hope that she could see the good in him and not to be scared away by what he really was.

She yawned and he smiled, looking at her whilst laying on his side. "You should go to sleep, it's getting late." She knew that he was right, but she was laying very comfortable and she liked the conversation that the two of them were having at the moment. "Tell you what," he said, reading the uncertainty on her face like a skilled reader who knew all her emotions by just a simple twitch in the muscles of her face. "why don't you wash up, and when you get back, I'll tuck you in like old times." Stefan said with that loving smile and she smiled back and nodded.

Slowly she got off the bed and didn't waste a second to get to the bathroom, taking a quick shower, brushing her teeth and pulling a red sweater over her head as a pajama. She put her caramel blonde hair into a simple braid that hung over her shoulders and then left the bathroom, making her way back to the bedroom.

Stefan was still in the position he was in before she left, now casually reading through her history schoolbooks. "As a person who has lived longer on this earth than these books, it is very frustrating to read about all the wrong information they give you at history." She laughed, "Well, they aren't really expecting such an old vampire to check their work." He chuckled, "No, probably not." He said and then patted at the spot next to him.

She slipped into bed, welcoming the warmth that it gave her. Stefan pulled her a little closer to him and wrapped both his arms around her and their breathing slowly got into rhythm as they closed their eyes and enjoyed the silence.

Memories came back from when she would lie her with him like this when she was younger. Without saying a word, enjoying the presence of each other. Loving the comfort and the protective feeling she got whenever she was around him. Without even noticing, she slowly started to fall asleep, and the only thing she heard before she entered her dreams, was a soft, "Sweet dreams, Candice." in her ear.

With a loud bang she was taken out of her peaceful sleep, and she shot right up into bed. Scared, she looked around her in the dark, and quickly turned the light on her nightstand on. Still half asleep, she threw the covers off her and got out of her bed, running downstairs with a thumping heart. "Stefan?" She desperately called out as she moved to the sound she heard outside.

Candice knew that it wasn't very smart to move towards the sound, God knows what was going on. But laying in her bed wouldn't make things safer anyway.

The front door opened and when she saw a guy with dark hair walking in, her heart started to thump madly. She was mentally beating herself up for not bringing any weapons with her, but all her worries left her when she saw Stefan walking in through the front door as well.

When they both entered the living room, she could slightly make out who the other person was. It was Stefan's brother: Damon Salvatore. "Sorry, Candice. Didn't mean to wake you." Damon said with a grin as he headed straight to the alcohol. "Nice to see you too, Damon." She grumpily said, blaming him for interrupting her peaceful sleep.

Stefan wrapped his arms around Candice with an apologetic face, "I'm really sorry about that, let me bring you back to bed." He said and she smiled, about to decline his offer, telling him she could walk back upstairs when she suddenly remembered the warm fuzzy feelings she had before she went to sleep.

So, with those feelings in her mind, she let him walk with her upstairs. "Sweet dreams, my dearest Candice." Damon called after her with a sarcastic undertone to it and Candice just rolled her eyes. She was highly well aware of the fact that Damon still didn't come to terms with Stefan's decision to adopt a human and to raise it.

Once they were back in her room, she quickly jumped back into bed. He kissed her forehead and turned off the lights, "Goodnight, Stefan." Candice whispered in the dark. "Goodnight." He said and before she knew it, she was back to sleep.

That was, until she was once again woken up. This time, however, it was her alarm clock. With a groan she turned it off and looked at the time that told her it was ten minutes past seven.

Very slowly she got up and out of bed, walking to the bathroom and briefly washing up, throwing a simple outfit on. Light blue jeans with a white tank top and grey vans would have to do the job today. She combed her hair and put it in a messy bun and then headed downstairs.

Candice scanned the room with her eyes only to end up disappointed when she didn't see Stefan. She walked to the kitchen and saw Damon sitting at the dinner table, reading the newspaper. "Where's Stefan?" She asked as she poured herself a glass of orange juice. "I don't know, try the cupboard. He might be hiding in there." Candice rolled her eyes and then made some cereal and sat in front of him, taking small bites whilst focusing on the paper in his hands.

"I didn't know that Damon Salvatore read the newspaper." She said and he looked up at her, "Well, I have to know what I missed out on, don't I?" He said and she shrugged, "I guess."

He continued reading and she kept on staring at him, taking in his features. His hair was a bit longer than she remembered from when he came six years ago but his demeanor was still the same as she remembered. Still the sarcastic, cocky and highly selfish Damon Salvatore. Yet, even though she would never admit it, he did look good despite his terrible personality.

"I know I'm hot, but can you please stop staring at me?" He suddenly spoke up with a smirk and Candice scraped her throat, looking away. And then let out a sarcastic laugh, "Yeah, _very_ hot." She scoffed and then took the last bite of her cereal. "Damon?" She asked and he raised his eyebrow in a question manner. "Why did you come back?" She said as she stood up.

She was curious about that the minute she saw him. Normally, he made it very clear as to why he came back, and most of the time, he would be gone not long after he arrived. So she was quite surprised that he was still here now.

"I live here." He stated as if that answered all her questions. Candice rolled her eyes, "I know that, but you're just never here. So, why are you now?" She asked.

"Just enjoying the nice weather in Mystic Falls." He said with a forced smile and Candice sighed. This was hopeless, she wouldn't get an answer from him. So that's why she grabbed the brown leather bag of the table and walked away, out of the house and making her way to school.

Damon hadn't even been a few weeks in Mystic Falls and he already managed to screw over the town. He used Vicki Donovan, later turned her into a vampire and then had her killed because she just simply failed at being a vampire. He had also been kept in the basement for a while, calling out to Candice a couple of times in hope she would set her free, but she refused to go down.

Let's also not forget about how he used Caroline as his personal blood bag and tried to kill the history teacher, Alaric Saltzman, but miserably failed when it turned out that Alaric had a ring that resurrected him. Surprisingly enough, they ended up as friends.

The worst thing he did since his return, however, was killing Lexi. The two Salvatore brothers didn't have a very good bond, but slowly with the help of Stefan, it started to get just a tiny bit better. That was, until Damon killed Stefan's best friend.

Candice, however, hasn't been very actively participating in all the events. She was just very busy with school and besides that, she didn't want to get too mixed up with all that. And neither did Stefan, so they all excluded her as best as they could. That didn't mean that Stefan didn't tell her all that happened, though.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't realize she was falling down the stairs until she nearly hit the ground. If it wasn't for Stefan's vampire speed, she would certainly have broken her neck. The strong arms of Stefan held her up as she was trying to stand on her own at the bottom of the stairs. "Are you okay?" He asked worried and Candice laughed relieved, "Yes, I'm good. Thank you." She said and he smiled and they both walked into the living room and saw Damon sitting there. By the looks of it, it seemed like they were all talking about something.

Candice rubbed her left arm with her hand but hissed in pain when she touched it. Both of the Salvatore brothers were now looking at her, and when Candice looked at her arm, she could see a deep cut which was pushing out a great amount of blood. She looked up and saw the veins on Stefan's face appearing. Damon must have noticed as well as he stood up and walked over to the both of them.

Damon put a hand on his brother's shoulder, "Stefan." Was all he said and after a few seconds, Stefan snapped out of his haze and slightly nodded at Damon before walking away.

Candice had her hand covered over the wound and felt the blood dripping slowly over her arm. She looked at the man in front of her and studied his face now that she had the chance to see it so up close. His dark brown hair reached just over his ears and his high cheekbones and his solid jawline created a very attractive look. Not to forget about the extreme blue eyes that were intensely staring at her.

His hand reached out to her hand that was laying on her arm, and for a split second, she thought the worst. But he surprised her as he just simply inspected the wound and then walked away, only to return not much later with a First Aid Kit.

Wordlessly, he cleaned the wound and removed the blood from her arm and hand with a wet towel. He finished it off with a band-aid and then smirked, "That smelled delicious." He said and winked at her.

Candice let out a sarcastic laugh, "Yeah, sorry, I can't help it. I'm just _that_ good." She said and added a dramatic hair flip and then grinned as she took the box out of his hands, "Thanks." She quickly said and then put the box where it belonged.

"I heard from Stefan that you are planning to release Katherine from the tomb." Candice suddenly said. Damon nodded, "Yeah, I'm working on it." He said and she looked at him doubtfully. With all her respect, she found it quite silly to spend your entire existence trying to get your beloved one back. Although, on the other hand, she couldn't help but find that really sweet. To love someone so much you are willing to do everything to get them back.

Candice looked at him a little longer and he sighed, "What is it?" He asked annoyed and probably expected her to make a judgy comment. "Why do you hate me?" She honestly asked him, spontaneously switching the subjects.

Damon raised a surprised eyebrow but then chuckled, "I could ask you the same question." Candice scoffed, "Isn't the answer quite obvious? You're bad and do horrible things. Isn't that reason enough?"

"For small-minded people, it is." He said and then took a sip of his bourbon, "It's not that I hate you. I'm just not very excited about your existence. That's all." He said, answering her question.

"Because I'm just a silly little human that should have never found its way to Stefan?" She guessed but he shook his head. "No, because you're an annoying little human that needs protection 24/7. It's very time consuming and highly unnecessary."

"Annoying? You sure do have an opinion very quickly." She scoffed and then furrowed her eyebrows in aggravation. "How long have you actually known me? Three weeks?" She said and he took another sip of his drink and heaved a sigh. "Look, it's nothing personal. But, just so you know, I'm not going to hold this conversation with a fourteen year old."

Candice looked at him in disbelief. Was he seriously feeling almighty because he happened to be over 160 years older than her? "Whatever, have it your way then." She said and turned around, ready to walk away when he said something to her. "Really? You're just going to walk away?"

"Well, yes, I wouldn't want to _annoy you with my existence._ " She said and he just looked at her like she was an idiot. "I just told you that your existence is worthless to me and you just take that and leave?" He said, clearly confused.

"That was my plan, yes." She simply said and he neared her. For over a minute they just looked at each other, him trying to read her, and her trying to understand him. A smirk broke out on his lips and Candice scrunched her eyebrows in confusion, "I can't wait to see you all grown up." He smugly said and then walked away, brushing slightly against her as the front door opened. "Hey, brother." Damon said and she could hear him smacking his shoulder and then the front door closed again.

"Everything okay?" Stefan asked Candice as he saw her dumbfounded face. She nodded her head absentmindedly and then remembered why he left. "Are you?" She asked genuinely concerned and he nodded with a smile. "Sorry about earlier."

"Don't worry about it." She replied with a smile and then grabbed her leather jacket of the couch. "I'm heading out for a little while, I'll be home before dark." She said and he nodded, "Call me when something is wrong." He said. "I will." Candice slipped into her shoes and walked out of the house, hearing Stefan shout a "Be careful!" and then closed the door with a chuckle and said something without raising her voice, knowing very well that he could still hear her. "I will." She said with a laugh, enjoying the protective tone of Stefan. Sometimes he could act like a real father.

Her feet aimlessly dragged her along the streets, trying to find a place where she could let all the thoughts into her head. One thing mainly present in her mind, a few simple words that kept repeating itself like a mantra, trying to figure out the meaning behind it.

 _I can't wait to see you all grown up._ What exactly did he mean with that?


	2. I need a hero

**Behind blue eyes**

 _ **Chapter 2: I need a hero**_

 **A/N: I don't own anything except for my mistakes and OC.** _I fast-forwarded the story until I reached the age I wanted my OC to be. I'll be briefly telling about what happened in the past few years, but it won't differ much from the series. This takes place at season 5. Also, Stefan has regained his memory already in this story so I skipped that part. A little heads up as well:I changed occasions and people. I also skipped parts that were unnecessary for my story. Like, Katherine taking over Elena's body._

Two years later she was now tightly gripping to the luggage she was holding in both hands. She had just landed at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta's International Airport and was waiting outside for her ride.

She looked around her, and after a few minutes a blue Chevy Camaro stopped right in front of her. A familiar man with dark brown hair and his trademark black leather jacket stepped out of the car and with a smirk he took off his sunglasses.

"Your taxi has arrived, Miss Salvatore." He smugly said and held the car door open for her. Candice smirked and got in, gladly accepting his hand to support her whilst she was trying to casually step into the car with her high heels.

He put her luggage into the car and then sat down next to her, putting his sunglasses back on as he started the engine. Candice couldn't help her curiosity, and no matter how happy she was to see Damon, she couldn't help but wonder where Stefan was. As if he could read her mind, he said: "He's a little busy with Elena at the moment." He said and Candice nodded in understanding, but couldn't help but feel a tiny bit disappointed.

She totally understood that he had his own life, his relationship that he had to look after, but he was the one person that had raised her with all his love as long as she could remember. And she had kinda hoped that he would come to see her. After all, they hadn't seen each other in two years, because Candice moved to New York City when she was sixteen years old. Damon's orders, to be precise.

When she was still fourteen years old, Damon ended up disappointed when Katherine wasn't in the tomb and then there was the Founder's Council who murdered all the tomb vampires and nearly murdered Damon and Stefan in the progress.

Then when she turned fifteen, they all had a bit of a werewolf problem, a run in with the Originals, and a crazy sacrifice. Also, Damon got bitten and was on the edge of dying when Stefan decided to sacrifice his humanity to save his brother. Candice had been by Damon's side the entire time, and was surprised when Katherine suddenly showed up with the cure.

She soon turned sixteen and seeing as Stefan didn't seem to care much about the people he knew, Damon figured it would be safer if she would stay outside of Mystic Falls for a couple of years until Stefan was back to his old self. He told her not to tell him where she went, though. Because Klaus could compel Damon any moment he'd like and find her that way, if he wanted to.

That didn't mean they didn't stay in contact, though. In fact, they often called. It was probably because Damon felt responsible for Candice now that Stefan wasn't there to protect her and he also kept her up-to-date with all that was happening in Mystic Falls.

It wasn't quite friendship that they had, but they sure did grow a bit closer to each other. Candice tried to see him in a different light, and soon understood that Damon was often misunderstood. That in fact, he was capable of caring and loving, but people, including herself, didn't bother looking beyond the things he did wrong. It was after all easier to hate than to forgive. After years of knowing him, she finally took the time to see beyond his actions and an entire new world opened up to her. One that she didn't regret entering.

When she was seventeen, she was actually able to come back to Mystic Falls, seeing as Stefan had gotten his humanity back and got his blood lust under control. But, she wanted to finish high school first. She only had one year to go, and didn't want to start over again.

There were two times when Damon made his way over to her, and those few times brought them a tiny bit closer. They didn't do much apart from either talking about their problems or bringing their mind off their problems.

They had their fun moments, but she wouldn't deny that there were moments when it would have been better if he just stayed away.

Stefan, on the other hand, didn't visit her once. He still felt ashamed for losing himself like that, and wasn't ready for the confrontation with her just yet. At least, that is what she heard from Damon. It also didn't help the situation that Elena turned into a vampire and that Silas was randomly acting like Stefan.

Candice snapped out of her thoughts and looked to her left with a smile on her face and suddenly remembered the thoughts that had been on repeat nearly four years ago. "Damon?" She uncertainly asked and he briefly looked over at her, raising his eyebrow as an invitation to speak She opened her mouth but quickly shut it again, it wasn't the right moment to ask him now, not just yet. She just shook her head with a smile, "Mind if I close my eyes for a few minutes? The flight tired me out a little." She said, opting for a different subject.

Damon looked at her amused, "The flight was only an hour." Candice chuckled, "I had to get up early, okay? Give me a break." Damon shook his head in amusement, "Go ahead."

Candice greedily accepted the dreams that were waiting for her, relishing in pure bliss of peace. Just for a little while, she didn't have to think about the dangerous life she was getting herself into in less than an hour.

All too soon, she was violently awoken by a shake to her shoulders, but a comforting voice greeted her. "Rise and shine, sleepyhead." Candice looked to her left with a yawn and saw Damon smirking. "You should thank me." He said and Candice raised an eyebrow. "For what?"

"It was highly tempting to get in your head and deliver you some _sweet_ dreams." He smugly said with an eyebrow wiggle and Candice scrunched her face and then playfully smacked his arm. "Damon!" She said and he feigned pain with a laugh.

Candice looked around her and was greeted with the Salvatore boarding house. She happily got out of the car and breathed in the air. It felt good to be home again. "Is Stefan home?" She asked Damon whilst lowering her voice a little. He nodded his head and then smiled a little whilst nodding his head to the front door.

They both entered the house and Damon briefly left again to grab her luggage out of the car. Candice nervously walking into the living room and saw Alaric, Stefan and Elena on the couch. All heads turned to her and she nervously smiled at them, "Hey." She said and was mentally beating herself up. _Stefan is your family! Why are you being so nervous? You should be thrilled to see him again!_

Stefan scraped his throat and forced a smile. "Hey, how have you been?" He said and tried to put as much enthusiasm into it as he could. "I've been good." She said and glided her eyes over Rick and Elena for a second. "I graduated from high school." She said and Stefan nodded. "Yeah, I heard. Congratulations!" Stefan said and Alaric let out a deep sigh.

"Just hug each other already and stop this awkwardness. It's making me feel awkward as well." Alaric said and Elena chuckled lightly.

Candice looked uncertainly at Stefan but he eventually got up and walked towards her. They stood in silence in front of each other and then wordlessly embraced each other. Their arms clasped around each other and pressed their chests together. She smiled into his shoulder and let out a relieved breath. Oh, how much she had missed his strong arms around her fragile body.

"I am so sorry." Stefan whispered lowly in her right ear. The hurtful undertone gave her goosebumps all over her body and she bit back her tears. "You don't have to be sorry." She whispered back but he lightly shook his head. 

"I failed to raise you. I really am so sorry, Candice." He said and Candice gave his torso a comforting squeeze. "It's okay." She whispered shakily and buried her face into his shoulder. Softly inhaling the scent that was so familiar to her.

She didn't know how long they had been hugging like that, but at some point, Damon decided to interrupt their moment. "How _lovely_." He said and when she looked up and slowly let go of Stefan, she could see Damon looking at her with an awkward smile.

"So, what is your plan, Candice?" Alaric spoke up and Candice looked at Alaric and then noticed out the corner of her eyes that Damon was curiously looking at her.

"Well, I plan on going to college so I can study to become a doctor, I guess." She casually said with a shrug. "Really? That's what I'm majoring in at the moment." Elena said and Candice smiled. "Really? I didn't know that." She said and Elena smiled as well, "You should go to Whitmore College. That's where I am attending as well."

"I'll think about it." Candice said with a genuine smile. "You really changed into a beautiful woman, Candice." Stefan said as he looked her over once more. Candice smiled at him, "Thank you." She said and he ran his fingers lightly through her curls. "Your curls frame your face really nicely." He said with admiration and Candice let out a laugh, "Thanks, I guess."

"Want me to help you bring your stuff up to your room?" Stefan asked as he looked behind her and saw the bags laying at the front door.

Candice shook her head, "It's fine, I think I'll just take a moment for myself to unpack." She said and he nodded in understanding.

She smiled at Alaric and Elena and then walked away, grabbed her two bags and her suitcase and then carefully walked up the stairs, trying to balance as best as she could without tumbling back down.

When she reached her room, she dropped her stuff and looked around the room. It was exactly how she left it, and it felt a bit weird to be back here. Yet, it was a very pleasant feeling. She missed sleeping in her own bed, so without a second thought, she let herself fall on it, welcoming the soft feeling of her blankets and her scent that still lingered on the sheets.

After a while she got off the bed and slowly started to unpack her things. Filling her drawers with clothes and getting rid of the old ones that she used to wear when she was younger. She also slightly transformed her room into something that fitted her age a bit better. There was a knock on the door and when Candice looked behind her she saw Damon leaning against the door frame.

He smirked at her and Candice raised her eyebrow, "What are you smirking at?" She asked confused and he wiggled his eyebrows. "Just imagining you in a nurse outfit." He said and winked at her and Candice chuckled. She then threw the shirt she was holding in her hand at his face but he caught it on time. "Damon!" She playfully exclaimed and he sniffed the shirt, "Mm, vanilla." He said and his lips turned into a playful smile.

Candice scoffed but then laughed. Her smile, however, faded slowly and she ended up looking serious at Damon. He turned serious as well and rolled his eyes, "What?" She looked uncertain but then signaled with her hand that he should get in and close the door. "No, Candice, I will not go to your bedroom with you." He said loudly and then laughed as Candice rolled her eyes and pulled him inside.

She closed the door and he sat himself down on her desk and took a pen that was laying there and casually spun it around his fingers. Candice walked over to him and sat on the desk next to him and then heaved a sigh.

Her eyes locked with his, "What did you forget to tell me, Damon?" She asked, lowering her voice as best as she could. He leaned in a little, "Nothing." He said with a smile and she looked at him in disbelief. "Damon, please. What did you not tell me about Stefan? I know there is something. He seems different." She hissed and he sighed.

"It might have let out a detail or two." Damon lowly said and then got off the desk and walked over to a bag that was still open. He rummaged through it and Candice hopped off the desk and grabbed a diary of hers out of his hand. "Damon, tell me." She nearly begged him and he heaved a sigh again and then turned to her.

"Stefan might have been locked in a safe at the bottom of a lake last summer. Then when he got out, he had a little run in with Silas, which turned out that Stefan is a doppelgänger of Silas. Qetsiyah, a crazy heartbroken witch, fried Stefan's brains but all turned out well and he is now back with his _lovely_ memories." Damon said with a smile and Candice's mouth dropped open.

"You let out a _detail or two?_ " She asked, a little frustrated. "How could you not tell me this!" She hissed and he rolled his eyes. "It wasn't important for you to know." He shrugged and Candice raised an eyebrow, "How is that not important for me to know?"

"Look, the minute you'd hear what was going on with Stefan, you'd run back to Mystic Falls." He said and Candice looked at him in confusion, not understanding why that was a bad thing. "Yes, so?" She asked.

"So, that would mean that you stayed in New York City a year longer for no reason, you wouldn't get to graduate and oh, let's not forget about the main reason why you couldn't be here: Silas has been acting like Stefan several times and let's not forget about the weird mind manipulation he can do. It wouldn't be very helpful to have to look out for you as well." He said and Candice wasn't sure as to what she should feel. Damon casually talked about her graduation like it was no big deal, but she couldn't help but think that he might care about her future. And she knew he was right. If Silas was as bad as she had heard, then having her there wouldn't have helped the situation.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a funeral to plan." He said with a broad smile and walked to the door, "Wait, what?" Candice asked surprised and he opened the door. "Katherine, she is human and _dying_." He happily said and she let out a laugh. "Finally." Was all she said. With a grin, Damon walked away.

The day dragged on and Candice had decided to enroll in Whitmore College and together with Elena, she made that happen. She would officially start next week.

She ate dinner by herself and when she was done rinsing the dishes, Damon walked in. Candice loaded the dishwasher and when she was about to place a cup, he took it from her and placed it inside. "So, how did the funeral planning go?" Candice asked, trying to make conversation. "Great, got a lovely spot in the woods." He said with a smirk and Candice shook her head with a small smile on her face.

"I can't believe she is human." Candice said. "She's laying upstairs, have you seen her yet? She looks pretty terrible." He said and continued loading the dishwasher with cups and plates. Candice shook her head, "No, I have no reason." She said and he shook her reply off.

"You should talk to her, though. Get to know her a little." He said with a smirk and Candice scoffed, "So I can become friends with her for, what, a few days?" Damon shook his head, "To rub in the misery of her pathetic life she has lived. It's quite fun to do." He said, wiggling his eyebrows.

Candice laughed and then lightly smacked his chest, "You're so mean." She said. "It's what I'm best at." He said and Candice shook her head, "That's not the only thing you're good at." She said with a playful smile and then walked away, throwing the dish towel over his shoulder.

She headed upstairs and soon found herself in front of the room Katherine was in. Uncertainly she stood there in front of the door, contemplating whether she should go in or not. "Are you going to stand in front of the door forever or are you planning to come in already?" Said a groggy voice on the other side of the door. Candice's shadow must have shown underneath the door.

With a deep breath, she opened the door and looked at the woman that was laying in bed. Her curls had started to turn grey, and she looked rather sick. She really did look terrible. "Who are you?" She croaked out and Candice took a step closer.

"Candice Salvatore." She curtly said and was now standing in front of her. "Salvatore?" Katherine asked curiously and Candice nodded. "Yes, Stefan took me in for adoption nearly fourteen years ago." She said and Katherine nodded in understanding. "Right, he told me all about you. About the poor little girl, lost in the woods without parents." A sly smirk appeared on the woman's face.

"Do you live here? I've never seen you before." She asked and Candice nodded. "Really, Katherine? Are you suffering from memory loss already? We have met before. Briefly, if I must say so. Remember, when you brought Damon the cure?" Katherine thought for a second and then she remembered, "Ah, right. You two were so sickeningly adorably laying together." She sat and rolled her eyes.

"Why did you visit me?" Katherine bluntly asked and Candice shrugged. "Damon mentioned you a lot, and I figured I wanted to see the woman who broke his heart." She scanned Katherine with her eyes, "I must say, I'm glad you've been such a bitch towards him, he is way better off without you."

Katherine scoffed, "Right, Damon. The lovesick fool."

"Not as lovesick as you are for Stefan." Candice said with a straight face. "What is that supposed to mean?" Katherine asked and Candice slyly smiled at her, "It's a bit pathetic how you love someone who will never love you back, isn't it? Yet, it makes it even worse because you actually think he will love you back someday." Candice was a little surprised at her harshness that she displayed towards Katherine, but she couldn't help it. The words left her mouth before she could stop them.

"But, honey, have you ever looked at yourself? You're a lying, manipulative bitch. Do you honestly expect Stefan to fall for that?" Katherine glared at her for a minor second, before composing herself.

"So, let me get this clear.. you came here to lecture me about my love life?" She asked with a raised eyebrow and Candice shook her head. "Not at all, it just happened to be a great opportunity."

It was silent for a while, Katherine's eyes were scanning Candice the entire time, and she tried not to show Katherine that she was uncomfortable under her stare. Instead, she just displayed a very calm, confident attitude, refusing to let Katherine get the best of her.

"Well, I guess that at the end of the day, my love life will be better than yours and Damon's." She said and Candice raised an eyebrow in confusion, "What do you mean?" She asked but Katherine laughed. "And _that_ my dear, is why mine is better." She said and Candice was absolutely dumbfounded.

Not bothering to waste another minute on her, she turned around and walked back to the door. "Have a nice life, _Candice._ " Katherine said with a sly smile.

Candice opened the door and quickly shut it again when she was in the hallway. 

As confused as one could get, she walked back into her room and replayed the conversation a several times. Yet, she really couldn't understand what Katherine meant with all that she said.

Candice sighed and walked into the bathroom, quickly refreshing herself before hopping into bed. She let the comfortable, soft sheets welcoming her body and a smile spread across her lips. It was good to be home.

 _Their semi-naked bodies collided as Damon pushed Candice into the wall of his bedroom. His lips trailed down to her neck and she let out a moan as she felt his fangs lightly scraping the delicate skin of her neck. He pulled back for a second and she stared into his perfect blue eyes. He looked at her as if he was searching for permission and she nodded her head, instinctively pulling his body closer to hers and his head went down to her neck again. Embracing herself for what would come, she anticipated him biting her._

But it never came. Frustrated, she slowly woke up and came back to her senses. It was just a dream. Candice let out a sigh and rubbed her face with her hands and then opened her eyes.

"Had a nice dream?" A voice said and when Candice looked to her left, she could see Damon laying on her bed, a broad smirk plastered on his face and his arms behind his head.

Candice screamed in surprised and jumped away from him, nearly falling off bed. "Damon! What are you doing here?" She questioned and he smirked, "Just laying here."

Her thoughts drifted to her dream and it didn't take her long to put the pieces together. She looked at him suspiciously, "Did you get into my head?"

"I wouldn't dare." He said with a broad smile and Candice groaned. "You should get dressed and come downstairs." Damon said as he got up and Candice looked at him as he made his way to the door, "Chop chop! No time to waste."

Candice sighed and threw the covers off her and jumped straight into the shower. She did as he said, and got dressed. She opted for a white blouse and a short beige skirt. She combined that with a pair of black stilettos and let her wavy hair hang loose. For the accessories, she opened her white blouse a few buttons down so her black necklace could fall perfectly around her neck. She added a silver colored watch around her left wrist and then smiled in the mirror. She didn't put on too much make up. Just mascara and a simple eyeliner.

When she was done with that all, she got out of the bedroom and was now walking down the hallway, being careful when she walked down the stairs. She was about to turn around the corner and walk into the living room when Damon came out of it and stood right in front her, blocking her way. He took in her appearance and then smirked, "Not so fast, Missy."

He walked around her and stopped when he was behind her. His hands covered her eyes and with a little help, she managed to get down the few stairs. It was completely silent and all she heard was her own breathing.

"Happy birthday, Candice." He whispered in her ear and then pulled away his hands and she opened her eyes. There, in front of her, was a room filled with people. Some she knew, and some she didn't. A loud echo of "Happy birthday, Candice!" echoed through her ears and she felt her cheeks starting to hurt from smiling so broadly.

Stefan walked up to her and put his arms around her. "Happy birthday!" He happily said and Candice chuckled. It was a bit weird to think that she was now legally an adult. They broke their hug and then Alaric came up to her and laughed, "I was supposed to put this party hat on your head, but I don't want to ruin your pretty hair." He said and Candice laughed and thanked him when he congratulated her.

That's what she had been doing for a very long time, thanking people for wishing her a happy birthday. Not that she minded, it felt good to have people care about it. After all, last year and the year before that, had been pretty lonely when she had been celebrating it by herself. Sure, Damon had called her both years, but it wasn't the same.

She happily talked with several people at the party, and got to know Elena's and Stefan's friends a little better. Over the years, she heard about Matt, Caroline and Bonnie, but she could never really place them since she hadn't really interacted with them. But now she was given the opportunity, and it turned out that they are all very nice people.

After a several hours, however, people started to leave and before she knew it, only Stefan, Elena, Damon, Alaric, Bonnie and Caroline were the only ones to be in the living room.

They all sat down on the couches but Candice excused herself, she was in desperate need of water since she hadn't touched a drink since last night. She wasn't the type to drink alcohol, so she skipped the alcohol that she got offered at the party.

Candice walked into the kitchen with a smile, it was amazing to have such great people around her. She grabbed a cup out of the cupboard and poured it with water. When she turned the faucet off, she suddenly felt a hand covering her mouth roughly and felt something sharp and cold against her throat. "Ssh," a voice whispered very quietly into her ear. So quiet, that even vampires wouldn't be able to hear it. The whisper sounded female, but she couldn't quite place who it was. Until it hit her: _Katherine._

She was pushed forward and was guided to the living room. That's when people looked up and Damon and Stefan stood up immediately when they saw the two of them. "Katherine," Stefan began, "you don't want to do this."

"Actually, I do, Stefan. You know why?" Katherine croaked and Stefan shook his head, deciding to let her speak if that meant that Candice got to live a little longer. "Because this girl has gotten everything from you that I have wanted. And I tried it via Elena, but now that she is a vampire, she is just not of use to me anymore."

Candice felt movement behind her and figured that Katherine was briefly looking at her. "Candice, however.." Katherine drawled and Candice tried to wiggle out of her grip, which only resulted in the knife pushing deeper into her throat, and she could feel a drop of blood dripping down her neck. Her eyes desperately looked at the people in the room, but she knew that they could do nothing to help her. One wrong move, and her neck would get slashed open. The only thing they could try, was try to talk Katherine out of it. And that's exactly what Stefan was trying to do.

"I'm hurt, Stefan. That you never gave me that opportunity." Katherine continued. "Look, Katherine, I'm sorry for hurting you. But I can't help my emotions, I just didn't love you the way you loved me."

"I know, and that's why I want you to feel how bad that hurts." She casually said and then her hair scraped against Candice's shoulder. "It was nice knowing you, Candice." Katherine said and the last thing she heard was a loud "No!" from the voice she had learned to love the most: Damon.

A piercing pain went to her throat and she could feel the blood leaving her body. Her body was released from Katherine's arms and just when she was about to crash onto the ground, she felt herself being caught by a pair of strong arms that she couldn't quite place. Until, at one point, everything got black.


	3. Good girls go bad

**Behind blue eyes**

 _ **Chapter 3: Good girls go bad**_

 **A/N: I don't own anything except for my mistakes and OC.** _This chapter might seem very familiar because I used lots of things that happened in the series. Don't worry, though. That will only happen in this chapter. It was just very needed and fitting._ ** _Someone asked_** _me if Stefan and Elena are still together, the answer is yes, they are. That person also asked if Caroline and Stefan will get together and my answer to that is no, they won't. I find the two of them adorable, but it won't be relevant for my story._

She didn't know how it happened, but she survived. Whatever happened, she was alive. Very slowly, she came back to her senses. She allowed the sounds to fill her ears, and regained consciousness. Her eyes opened and was greeted with the sight of a high ceiling. She tried to place herself without having to look around and she recognized the place easily: she was laying on the couch in the living room of the Salvatore boarding house. Her hand reached up to her neck, and carefully touched her throat. But she didn't feel a cut, in fact, it was as smooth as it could possibly be.

Slowly, she dared to look around her and was greeted with a bunch of people staring at her. They were all wearing the same worried expression on their face but no one dared to say a word.

Candice sat up straight on the couch and turned her body to the rest and her eyes glided over each one of them. She couldn't take it anymore, she had to know how she survived. So she went with her best guess, "Did any of you feed me your blood?" She quietly asked and looked at Caroline, Damon, Stefan and Elena.

"I did." Damon was the first one to say something out of all the others. That still didn't explain why everything turned black before, though. "Then.. did I pass out or something?" She guessed but Stefan scraped his voice. "Candice.." He doubtfully said and Candice raised a questioning eyebrow until her brain did the thinking and she now noticed the intense need to feed on human blood.

"No.." Candice breathed out with a shaky breath. The people in the room were looking pitifully at her but didn't say a word. "Am I.. a vampire?" She asked in disbelief. "Actually, you're in transition." Damon lowly said, in a very serious tone but it had an angry undertone to it. A tone she didn't understand.

Candice's eyes scanned the room once more and then turned to Stefan, "Is Katherine.." Damon interrupted her, finishing her question. "Dead?" Candice looked at Damon and could see his frustrations when he looked at Stefan. "Ask Stefan, the hero." Damon said and Candice drifted her eyes to Stefan. "I couldn't kill her." Candice's eyes bulged in surprise. "What do you mean you couldn't kill her? Did she escape or..?" Candice tried to search for an answer but Damon's expression said it all.

"No, it means that he freely let her go because his feelings of sympathy got in the way." Damon spit out as he looked at Stefan. Candice felt tears welling up in her eyes, "So, you're saying that you couldn't kill the girl who _actually_ killed me?" Candice asked as she swallowed away the lump in her throat.

Stefan didn't say anything and just looked down in regret.

"I wasn't supposed to die.. not yet." Candice whispered. Sure, at some point in her future, she had the idea of turning into a vampire. But not this soon, she wasn't ready yet.

"Maybe you don't have to. I talked to Bonnie.." Stefan said as he looked up and briefly looked over his shoulder at Bonnie and then looked back at Candice. "She said she's stronger than ever. There might be something she can do to help you." Stefan said but Damon jumped in immediately, "No, the only thing that's going to help is for you to feed and complete the transition." Damon looked at her with mixed emotions that she couldn't quite place.

"We have all day before she has to feed, Damon." Stefan said and looked at his brother. "That's a day to exhaust every possible way out of this."

"There is no way out of it! We all know the drill, you feed or you die." He spat and looked between Candice and Damon. "There is no door number three."

"It's worth a try." Stefan said and grabbed Candice's hand but Candice pulled away immediately. "Don't lie to me, Stefan. I'm not that stupid." Candice said as she looked Stefan straight in the eye. "Like Damon said, we know the drill. There is no way out of this." She croaked and then looked at Damon. There were still hints of frustrations and anger towards his brother, but she could also make out a comforting feature on his face.

Candice got off the couch and was about to walk away when Stefan spoke up, "Do you blame me for you becoming a vampire?" He asked surprised. "You do know it's Damon's blood that turned you, right?"

"I don't blame you or Damon that I am in transition now." Candice said and looked at Damon but then focused her gaze on Stefan again. "But, I do blame you for not killing Katherine." Candice said, her voice laced with hurt.

"I see you're finally awake, took you long enough." Candice's head shot up, and she felt every amount of anger she had intensify and before she knew it, she had turned around and snapped Katherine's neck with strength that was unknown to her. Refusing to feed on her, knowing that she had the cure running in her veins. Call her crazy, but if she wanted to be human, she wanted it to be natural, and not by some sort of magic. Then she'd rather rock the vampire life. After all, like she thought before, she wanted to be a vampire sooner or later. Well, it was sooner than she actually wanted, but if she would take the cure now, there was no turning back.

"No!" Stefan loudly exclaimed and Candice turned around and released a disbelieving laugh. "Wow, you did not just protest in me killing the girl who should have died the moment I did." She furiously said but Stefan just stayed quiet, keeping his eyes on the woman laying on the floor.

Damon got off the chair and walked over to Candice. Both of their blue eyes looked at each other, and without having to say a word, she knew what he meant. They walked out of the living room, his hand laying on the small of her back and he guided her out of the house and opened the door of his car for her.

He knew that she had to get out of that house. She didn't hate Stefan, she was just highly disappointed.

In silence, they drove away and Candice let Damon take her wherever he intended to go to. Her phone started to ring and when she pulled it out, she saw the name _Stefan_ appear on her screen but she ignored it. When he called again a couple of times, she got tired of it and shut her phone off.

Her eyes drifted out of the window as she looked at the houses passing by. Not long after, they stopped in front of a building that looked a lot like a party was going on inside. And when Candice stepped outside, she noticed that it was getting dark already as well. How long exactly had she been out?

He motioned with his head that she should follow him inside, and he easily compelled the two of them access to the party. However, Damon didn't let her go in until she fed on one of the bodyguards. Damon compelled the man to stay still and Candice looked at Damon doubtfully but he nodded with a motivational smile.

Candice finally gave in to her thirst that she had been trying to suppress the minute she acknowledged it and let her teeth shamelessly sink into the man's neck. Damon had to pull her away so she wouldn't kill the man, though. Which resulted in an angry growl of Candice. She wasn't done yet. She was hungry, and she wanted to feed but he pulled her away and then wiped away some of the remaining blood off her lips and licked it off his own fingers.

"You're a vampire now. You just have to learn how to be one. And I'm gonna teach you." Damon said and smirked as he walked into the building. Candice followed him and was overwhelmed when she heard the music louder than ever before. Her senses were slowly getting sharper by the minute, and it was both a blessing and a curse.

Damon showed her the little tricks of being a vampire and the first thing she learned was compulsion. And she loved it. He showed her how to feed without losing herself, and they basically had an incredible night. They danced, and not very PG rated if she must say so, and she might even admit to kissing him. She just couldn't help it. He looked irresistible with the blood around his lips and she was just a little too drunk on blood. There wasn't any meaning behind the kiss, though. It just happened in the heat of the moment. The rest of the night,they both kept on feeding on random strangers until the party was over.

Her best guess was that it was soon to be dawn when they got outside and Damon safely drove her home. They got inside and Candice stopped at the front door. "I had an incredible night. Thank you so much, Damon." Candice honestly said and he smiled, "Sweet dreams, Candice." He said with a smirk.

Candice noticed Stefan standing in the passage way of the living room but straight out ignored him and walked upstairs. She wasn't going to let her night get ruined by a lecture of him. And apparently Damon thought the same about it, because since she had vampire hearing now, she could easily hear him say: "Don't start, Stefan. I don't want to hear it." And then he walked upstairs as well. Stefan, however, left the house for some kind of reason. Probably going to Elena.

She took advantage of her new vampire speed as she cleaned herself up and got ready for bed. But when she was lying in bed, it was an entire different feeling than she had last night. Sure, she had an amazing night but it didn't change the situation that happened today.

It was crazy to think that she only turned eighteen today and not long after, she was killed only to wake up as a vampire again. Let's not even get started on how disappointed she was in Stefan. And it kept her awake. She knew she didn't have to sleep, but she wanted to. But her thoughts didn't allow her.

Candice sighed as she twisted and turned in her bed. " _You'll be okay_." Those simple words had her bursting out in tears. He spoke them so gently and she just lost it. She wanted nothing more than to just be in his arms right now. So, that's why she wiped away the tears and got out of bed and walked down the hall, knocking on the door of Damon's bedroom and within no time, Damon opened it.

Candice didn't think as she threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in his bare chest. This was exactly what she needed. To feel the embrace of someone she trusted and could rely on. His arms tightly wrapped around her and he let her tears run down her cheek only to end up lightly falling on his chest. His hands made its way into her hair and he lovingly caressed it.

After a while he figured she cried enough, though. He took her face in his hands and lifted her head slightly up and wiped away the tears with his thumbs. And the emotions she saw in his eyes, were indescribable and breathtaking. It wasn't his usual stony glare or the eyes that only looked at the world like it was about to beat him down whenever it had the chance. No, it was loving, caring and even a little hurt. It was exactly what she needed to see.

Damon planted a soft kiss on her forehead, respecting her emotions and pushed away his and so he left it at that. He did, however, lifted her off the floor and carried her to his bed in his arms, laying her on top of his chest as he pulled the sheets over the both of them. His hand gently stroked her back as she breathed in his scent. It was a perfect woody, herby and fruity mixture. And even though it was difficult to describe, it was above all, a fresh scent. Very addicting.

Candice let herself relax into his embrace as she focused on his breathing, matching hers with it. She finally felt relaxed enough to fall into a peaceful sleep.

The next morning felt so surreal. Like everything that happened yesterday was just a bad dream. But, it wasn't. She really was a vampire now, and she really was laying in the arms of the one and only Damon Salvatore right now. The entire love-hate relationship they had over the years suddenly changed in one day.

Of course, it isn't like she suddenly loved him. It wasn't like that at all. She just felt closer to him, like he understood exactly what she needed at the moment. "'Morning," a smug voice said. Candice lifted her head and looked straight into his eyes and he smiled. "Good morning." She said and gave a small smile in return.

Her eyebrows furrowed as she noticed the thirst that she had. She guessed that the immense thirst had to do with her being a new vampire. Yet, it didn't take away the fact that she hated the feeling. "We should get you something to drink." Damon said as he recognized the face she made. Candice shook her head, "I just want to lay here a little longer."

Damon sighed, "Candice, you should really drink." He insisted but she shook her head. "I don't want to get up yet." She whined. She was very well aware of the fact that that sounded a little childish. But she didn't mind, she would do anything if it meant she could lay in bed just a few more minutes.

He was quiet for a little while, but then he spoke, very uncertain, "There is another way for you to feed without you having to get up." But the minute he spoke those words, he looked like he regretted it immensely.

That made Candice all the more curious. "How?" She wondered out loud. She knew that she didn't have to feed on humans and therefore could feed on animals. However, she didn't know that a third option existed.

Damon shook his head, "Forget I said anything." Candice tried to pout cutely but he just laughed and pulled her out of bed with vampire speed. "I'll show you someday, okay?" He said and Candice sighed with a nod. She knew that she wouldn't get it out of him if he wasn't ready to tell her.

He started to untie his black pajama bottoms and then looked up at Candice, "Are you staying for the show or?" Candice coughed awkwardly and then pointed with her thumb to the door. "No, I'm just gonna.." She didn't bother to finish her sentence as she sprinted out of the room with her vampire speed.

Oh, how much she loved her new speed. It came to use at many situations. And awkward situations were a part of that.

For some kind of reason, she really felt like putting effort into her looks today. And so she stood in front of her mirror in the bathroom, applying her make up moderately and pulled her wavy hair into a neat ponytail. As for her outfit, she opted for a light brown leather jacket, white tank top, black scarf, black skinny jeans and black with white and black striped high heels. She walked back into her room and grabbed a black leather bag off the ground and threw her black sunglasses in it.

Candice rummaged through her bag as she walked out of the room but bumped into someone. She looked up at the body in front of her and he smirked at her. He was wearing black jeans, black shoes, a black button-down-shirt and a black leather jacket. It made his blue eyes stand out even more, and if it could be possible, it made him even more attractive.

Yet, she rolled her eyes. "Really, Damon?" She said and he grinned, holding up a bag of blood that he took from behind his back. She felt the blood rushing to her eyes, the veins throbbing madly as her fangs started to elongate

She lunged at the blood bag but he took a step back and pointed his finger at her. "Tsk tsk, not so fast." He said with a smirk but Candice growled. "Damon, give me that." She said in a dangerously low voice.

"Say please." He teased and the way he said it so smugly riled her up so bad that she wanted to rip his head off right there and then.

Candice closed her eyes and sighed frustrated, fighting the hunger for a few seconds longer and then murmured a soft "Please."

She opened her eyes and Damon leaned in a little, pretending like he didn't hear her. "What did you say?"

"Damon!" She said angrily but he just chuckled and gave her the blood bag with a sigh. She didn't waste a minute as she violently grabbed it out of his hand and brought it to her mouth and drank it all. "Who's a good vampire?" He mocked her and patted her head with a smirk but Candice rolled her eyes as she felt the veins underneath her eyes retract.

He reached out to her face and with his left hand he wiped away some of the remaining blood. "Next thing to teach you: how to feed without smudging your entire face." He lowered his hand, "Duly noted." He said and Candice chuckled.

"What else will you teach me?" Candice asked curiously as they were walking down the stairs and when she looked to her right side she saw Damon smirk, "A lot of things."


	4. Take me away

**Behind blue eyes**

 _ **Chapter 4: Take me away**_

 **A/N: I don't own anything except for my mistakes and OC.** _I know that in the series Mystic Falls is originally located in Virginia, but since the location they filmed in is Covington, Georgia I used Georgia as my location instead of Virginia. Just thought I'd give a little heads up in case you were wondering. Also, I realised that the little road trip I make them go on happened to be one that happened in the series as well, that was not my intention. But I discovered it after I wrote everything, so I didn't really felt like changing it. I hope you understand. It has nothing to do with each other, though._

"So, where are we going?" Candice asked as they drove out of Mystic Falls and she looked to her left and Damon smirked, "We're going on a little road trip." He said and Candice looked at him suspiciously but he rolled his eyes, "Don't worry, it'll be fun." He promised and Candice gave in with a light hearted sigh, rather excited as to what his plans were.

When they were half way into the ride, about fifteen minutes in, she finally dared to ask the question she had wanted to ask the moment she saw him again.

"Damon?" She asked a little hesitant and he briefly looked at her with raised eyebrows in a curious manner, "Yes?" He asked and then focused his attention back on the road. Candice fumbled with her shirt as she looked down at her hands, she was uncertain if she should ask this but then took a deep breath and decided to go through with it. "Four years ago, you said, and I quote, 'I can't wait to see you all grown up.'" She said and studied his expressions. His lip twisted up slightly into a side smirk but his eyebrows were raised in surprise.

"Didn't expect you to remember that." Damon said and then intensely looked her in the eye, "I guess you'll just have to wait and see." He said with a cocky smirk and she scrunched her eyebrows in dissatisfaction and pouted a little. She did not just wait four years for such a useless reply. Damon laughed as he looked over at her and saw her pout. "Oh, come on, Pouty. I'll make it worth your while." He said with a wink and Candice couldn't help but laugh.

Not long after, they arrived and she recognized the place immediately. They were in Atlanta. Why? She had absolutely no idea. That is as to why she looked helplessly to Damon, expecting him to give her all the answers to her questions. But, he just simply ignored her and walked off without her, resulting in her having to speed up her pace a lot to catch up with him.

Wordlessly they walked through the city and ended up at the Historic Fourth Ward Park and they seated themselves at the bottom of the stairs. Candice looked around her with a smile, she always liked Atlanta for some reason, and the peace that this little park brought, was exactly what she needed.

Damon let her sit in peace for a while, of course not without glancing over at her once in a while and staring at her for some kind of reason that she had no answer to. After what seemed like ages, she finally stood up as a suggestion that she was finished here and a slight grin formed on his lips but he refused to explain why, even after she insisted a couple of times.

He just led her back to the car and then drove for about ten minutes only to park again when they arrived. Candice let out an amused laugh as she looked at the building in front of them, "Really? You took me to _Georgia Aquarium?_ " She said in amusement and he shrugged with a grin, "Let's go." He said enthusiastically making Candice laugh even harder. Damon, being the gentleman, paid for the entrance tickets.

Her amusement of the situation quickly faded away and it was replaced with astonishment. They walked through a hall that was covered with glass and around them fish were swimming in the deep blue water. The sight was absolutely breathtaking and she would have never guessed that a fish could make her so happy as it did right now.

In her excitement, she slightly ran towards the windows as a little girl to get a closer look. Damon slowly followed her and Candice enthusiastically pointed out all kinds of fish. Talking about how one looked absolutely beautiful and the other quite funny. Damon, however, didn't seem to share her excitement for the fish. But a smile still appeared on his face whenever he saw her face lit up.

They walked through different corridors, one containing tiny fishes, the other sharks and the other had a mix of fish she didn't even know the name of. Couldn't blame her, she wasn't a fish expert, after all.

She didn't know how much time they spent in there, but she was sure that it was safe to say that they spent at least two hours in there. When they got out, it was slightly getting dark and Candice couldn't stop smiling. She really enjoyed watching the fish so carelessly swimming around without any concerns. It was beautiful inside and she would forever treasure this memory.

She did notice how quiet Damon has been the entire day, though. He made his usual cocky comments and replied whenever talked to, or well, most of the times, but he wasn't full of talks like he normally was. But she wasn't quite sure if she should ask him about it. After all, they weren't _that_ close.

They walked a very short distance until they reached a building, "Westin?" Candice questioned as she looked at Damon and a smile played on his lips, "The Westin Peachtree Plaza." Damon drawled and he walked inside and Candice curiously followed.

When she walked in, she let out a gasp, it was absolutely gorgeous on the inside but it looked extremely expensive as well. The walls were covered with wood that had both an orange and a darker shade of brown to it. The registration desk had a grey tinted wood with a brown wooden lining and a block of plain, natural colored wood to each side. There were five registration desks and the place was slightly crowded. Damon walked over to the third registration desk and checked the both of them in for one night.

The man that helped them gave them both a key card and then Damon guided her to the elevators. The elevators were just a plain white tint but the inside was still highly fancy looking with delicate grey and white tinted colours. Damon pressed the button to the sixth floor and they spent the few minutes in silence.

The hall they walked through was a soft white tint and when they arrived at room number 6442, Damon inserted the card into the door and then opened it when it made a slight buzzing sound. Candice put the other card into the little machine next to the door so they could use the electronics and then she flicked on the light switch.

It felt like Candice was only gasping in astonishment the entire day like she hadn't seen something beautiful in her entire life, but she just couldn't help it. The hotel room just looked so nice and absolutely stunning in her eyes.

The room consisted of a large king sized bed that had plain white sheets covering it and a dark wooden headboard behind it. A television was supported on a nice wooden polished table and on the right side was a simple desk with a leather chair and a mirror above it. The entire wall next to the desk was covered in windows and they had a beautiful view on the city. Brown draped curtains hung on each side of the window and a comfortable looking chair stood in the right corner by the window.

When Candice walked into the bathroom, she knew for sure that Damon must have payed a fortune for this room. The bathroom was very spacious and very elegant. The colour was a mixture between brownish-tint and grey and the bathroom tiles were a very soft white. The bathroom cabin had a few walls covering it, but it had a very big glass door in the center of it, giving a great view of the bathtub and the shower that were individually positioned inside it.

Candice looked to the wide mirror that hung above the wall hung wash basin and noticed the huge smile that was plastered on her face. In all honesty, she had no idea she was smiling so broadly. She just felt really happy, she guessed.

She left the bathroom and found Damon sitting in the chair, staring out of the window. "Like what you see?" He said with a smirk as he looked at her and Candice grinned. "Definitely." She said and quickly added, "It's a beautiful room!" To clear the definition of his question up.

Candice walked over to the window and let her eyes fall on the city beneath her. It was slowly getting darker by the minute. "I hope you don't mind sharing a bed." Damon said and Candice shook her head, "No, I don't. Isn't that what we have been doing last night as well?" She said with a smile and he gave her a side smirk.

A realization suddenly hit her: she barely brought anything with her. She had her phone, sunglasses and a hair brush, but that was kind of all she had with her. She most certainly didn't have pajamas. "Damon, what am I supposed to sleep in tonight?" She asked her and he cocked a playful eyebrow, "You can sleep naked." He teased but then added, "Or be boring and just sleep in your lingerie. Which will still be fascinating enough." He said with a wink and Candice heaved a sigh at his smugness but couldn't help but release a chuckle. That matter was settled then.

"There's this restaurant upstairs. I heard it's good, want to check it out?" He suggested and Candice nodded, pleased to see more of the hotel.

So, they both grabbed their key cards and got into a glass windowed elevator that led them up to the seventy-third floor where the Sundial restaurant was. They were guided to a lovely place by the windows with yet another beautiful view on the busy city. Damon ordered a simple chocolate cake and Candice opted for a lime cake.

Yes, it wasn't your standard dinner, but they were vampires, they actually didn't even need to consume the human food. The human blood, however, was highly necessary. And that's what they were both planning on doing. Or, that's what Candice figured when Damon didn't choose for an actual dinner.

They had to wait for a little while until they got their food since the restaurant was crowded with people. As they were waiting, Candice couldn't help but ask him the question that she had wanted to ask him the minute they arrived in Atlanta. "Why did you take me here, Damon? I thought you'd teach me how to be.. well, you know." She said, lowering her a voice a little as so she would not be overheard by the people sitting behind her.

"Look, being what we are is a great adventure, and the hunt and the feed are one of my favorite things about being a.. vampire." He said and lowered his voice a lot as he said the last word. "But, what is the purpose of living for an eternity if that's all you're focused on?" Damon said and paused when the waiter gave them their food. Candice politely thanked him with a smile and then when he was gone, Damon continued with what he was saying.

"There is so much out there in the world, Candice. So many places for you to discover, and I want you to have seen it all. That's why I took you here, to show you what life has to offer you. Even if it's just a small trip to an aquarium. As long as it brings you joy, it's worth living for." Damon said and Candice was slightly taken aback. She rarely got to see the serious side of Damon, so hearing him saying this all to her in such a serious and even a slightly caring manner, was an even greater addition to her already perfect day.

Candice smiled a genuine smile, feeling touched that he would spend his free time with her and helping her through it. She really did appreciate all that he was doing for her. Showing her yet again, that he was capable of being the good guy.

They ate their delicious tasting cakes in a comfortable silence and then moved down to their room again. Once inside, Candice had excused herself to the bathroom and took a quick shower and thanked herself for putting on a tank top that day. It gave her the possibility to not have to sleep in only lingerie to a man that she wasn't even dating.

She ran a hand through her hair that she had blow dried and then walked out of the bathroom. There he was, sitting once again in the chair by the windows, staring out of the windows seemingly in deep thoughts. He also had a cup in his hands and a bottle stood on the little desk, it was bourbon. How he got it? She honestly had no clue.

"There's a blood bag laying next to the television." He lowly spoke in a calm manner, not bothering to look at her and kept his gaze on the city.

Candice looked to her left and indeed, there it was. She eagerly grabbed it and finished it sooner than she liked, but didn't complain. She thought it was sweet enough that he bothered to bring one with him.

She took a good look at him, the lights were dim as only the night lamps were on. It created a beautiful shadow to his face and made his features stand out even more. His button-down-shirt was entirely unbuttoned and only when she focused more on his face she could see his troubled look.

Candice sighed internally, if only she had the guts to ask him how he was feeling at the moment. She walked over to the bed, letting herself fall down on the right side of the bed with a satisfied feeling. Today had been an amazing day, all thanks to Damon. She threw the sheets over her body and laid on her right side, looking at him as he clearly struggled with his own thoughts. It wasn't until minutes of staring that she caught his gaze via the reflection of the window.

His eyes were intensely staring back at her and she could make out the puzzled look on his face. He slowly got out of the chair and placed the cup on the desk and then positioned himself on the bed next to her, turning the lights off in the progress.

In the dark, she could easily focus on the silence and caught the sound of his breathing. Unconsciously, she started to copy his rhythm and instantly felt herself relax even more.

A thought suddenly popped into her mind, and her curiosity took over. "Are you mad at me for killing Katherine?" Her voice was a little unstable as she felt uncertain to ask him this question. She wanted to know his answer, but feared that it would turn out negative.

"Not at all. If I wasn't so busy trying to save your life, I would have done it myself." He spoke, his voice raspy.

"I am mad at Stefan, though." He added and she nodded in understanding, even though he couldn't see that. "Is that why you took me on this trip? To show Stefan that you are better at taking care of me than he is?" She carefully asked her but got an immediate response, "No." He curtly said and then scoffed slightly. "Is it that hard to believe that I do this because I care for you?" He said, his tone slightly hurt and Candice immediately regretted asking him.

"Not at all, I just wanted to clear that up." She softly spoke and then laid on her back, feeling more comfortable as she was about to say something that involved more personal feelings. "I really appreciate what you did today, Damon. And not only today, but also for the times when you took care of me when I needed it the most." She said, staring at the dark ceiling.

"I'm still trying to think of a way to pay you back for all that you did." Candice mumbled. 

"You don't have to pay me back. Consider this me paying you back for all the horrible things I did." Candice couldn't help it, she had to look at his expression. But what she wasn't prepared for, was the pain that was so well displayed on his face. Without even realizing what she was doing, she reached her hand out and softly glided the back of her hand over his jawline and rested it on his chest, lightly playing with the fabric as she felt his raised heartbeat through her hand.

His body rolled on his side and they were now looking at each other in the dark.

"Why did you choose to let me help you? Why didn't you let Stefan, Elena or Caroline help you?" He asked and Candice let her eyes drift down a little, watching as his chest slowly rose and fell. "I don't want to be around Stefan for a while because of the choice he made. And Elena and Caroline.. I barely even know them, so I didn't really feel like bonding with them so they could just teach me how to be a vampire." Candice spoke in a soft voice.

"And.." She carefully spoke, "I just thought that you were the excellent person to teach me how to be a vampire." That brought a slight smile to his face and it immediately made her smile as well.

"You should sleep, it's been a long day." He suggested and she nodded, taking one good look at those soul piercing eyes and then closed her eyes, allowing herself to fall asleep knowing that she was safe next to Damon.

A loud ringing woke them both up early in the morning. Damon groaned and Candice sighed as she recognized the ringing to be her phone and she dragged her body out of bed, walking to the desk where her bag stood and took the phone out of it. "Stefan." She said as she looked at Damon, uncertain if she should answer or not.

He gave her no expression and she figured she couldn't avoid Stefan forever, so she answered the phone. "Yes?" Candice spoke with no emotion in her voice. _"Finally!"_ A relieved voice on the other end came and she felt her heart break slightly. It was amazing what his voice could do to her. She had always hated it when she made him worry about her, but then she remembered what he did to her, so she pushed her feelings away.

" _I've been calling for ages, where are you?"_ He asked worried and slightly frustrated as well and she uncertainly looked at Damon who shook his head. "Just having a little road trip with Damon." She nonchalantly said and a small smirk spread on Damon's lips. _"What! Where?"_ He asked and she could hear the frustrations intensifying in his voice. "Doesn't matter." Candice said and then Damon spoke up, "Don't worry, little brother. I'll bring her back _safe and sound._ " He stretched the last words out, _"Damon is with you?"_ Stefan asked surprised and Candice couldn't help but roll her eyes at his stupidity. "No, Stefan. I went on a road trip with Damon but he isn't here." She sarcastically retorted. Whenever people asked stupid questions, she always automatically answered with a sarcastic comment, it was out of her control.

" _Just.. get home soon, okay? I really want to talk to you."_ Stefan sighed, clearly not willing to get into a fight with her over the phone. "You'll see me around." Candice curtly replied and then hung up the phone with a groan.

"You know, I could just kidnap you and take you far away from him." He jokingly said but she shook her head with a tired sigh. "No, I can't. I have to talk to him." She said and he looked doubtfully at her, neither agreeing nor disagreeing with her.

"Well, then I guess you better get ready so we can get back." Damon said and Candice nodded in agreement and excused herself, freshing herself up in the bathroom real quick and then got outside. Damon walked over to her and passed her another blood bag with his usual smirk as he playfully sang, "I got you lunch." and she gratefully smiled at him and he smirked knowingly and then disappeared into the bathroom as well and as she was drinking the blood, she could hear the water running.

Their ride home had an entire different feeling to it then when they drove to Atlanta. Candice felt rather sad to leave the place that had managed to give her such beautiful memories in just a single day and the fact that she knew that Stefan was waiting for her in Mystic Falls didn't really motivate her either.

The time seemed to go faster than she would have liked and before she knew it, they were back in Mystic Falls and right in front of the Salvatore boarding house. Candice groaned as she could see Stefan standing in the doorway and dreaded every second as she very slowly got out of the car.

Damon took her bag out of the car and said, "I'll be inside if you need me." And she smiled gratefully at him, knowing very well that he'd gladly get her out of there when things wouldn't go well between Stefan and Candice. He then walked past him and he couldn't help but bump his shoulder into his brother's shoulder.

Candice shook her head and suppressed a smile, she wouldn't deny that Damon was hot when he was angry and wasn't afraid to show it. Stefan nodded his head at the wall behind her and she took the hint and sat down on it, him following shortly.

She waited in uncomfortable silence for him to speak, not feeling the need to start the conversation herself. "I'm sorry." He honestly said, breaking the silence after a few minutes. Candice let out a dry laugh, "It's not an apology I am looking for, Stefan. It's a reason, an explanation.. anything that informs me why you chose to let her live." She insisted and he sighed, "I know. And you definitely deserve one, but I'm just not sure. I guess the moment that it all happened, I remembered the good things about her and I just couldn't bring myself to kill her." He explained and she sighed, "It doesn't explain your protest from when _I_ killed her."

"I wanted Katherine to end her days in peace because in my opinion, and I know you all highly disagree with me, she deserved that." Candice scoffed, he was right, she indeed disagreed. "Her entire life she has been fleeing, fighting for her life. I just wanted her to end her last human days in peace, knowing that she didn't have to run anymore, that she didn't have to survive but could just simply live." Stefan warily said and then said with a more steady voice, "But, I was wrong for not killing her the moment you died. I should have realized then that she didn't deserve the life I wanted for her. That wasmy fault, Candice. And I will regret that choice for the rest of my life. But please, I beg you, don't leave my side." Stefan pleaded and turned his body to Candice.

"You can hate me for eternity just like Damon does, hell, please be like Damon. Because I deserve that. But I beg of you, whatever you do, don't turn your back on me." He desperately said and Candice was fighting the tears that were about to fall.

"I can't hate you, Stefan. As much as I try. Not after all you did for me in all these years. You forgave me every time I hurt you or disappointed you in the years I grew up." Candice said and hated herself for how shaky her voice was when she spoke those words.

Stefan's eyes were just as watery as hers and following her feelings, she threw her arms around him and he gladly accepted her hug. "And now it's my turn to forgive you." She whispered in her ear and he strengthened his embrace, not holding back now that she was a vampire, knowing that she could take the pressure.

The warmth of his body, the soothing scent that hit her nostrils, the all too familiar embrace was all too much, she had lost the fight and her tears were now freely flowing as she accepted the fact that no matter what, she could never hate the man that had given her so much.


	5. Painful truth

**Behind blue eyes**

 _ **Chapter 5: Painful Truth**_

 **A/N: I don't own anything except for my mistakes and OC.** _There are mentions of sexual acts and blood sharing in this chapter. There is no detail of the sexual acts, but you have been warned._

Three weeks later after they returned to Mystic Falls, she was now sniffing the air in New York City. Damon had insisted on going back here, and Candice was more than curious as to why he decided to bring her back to a place that held little meaning to her and felt more like a refuge rather than a nice city to visit.

In those three weeks before, they visited Orlando as well for a couple of days and he taught her how to make the hunt more enjoyable and showed different aspects to it. It was funny how they grew so close since she became a vampire. It was even more fascinating how she enjoyed his way of living it, something she wouldn't have thought when she was younger.

Of course she attended college as well together with Caroline and Elena, but on weekends Damon and Candice enjoyed the vampire life together.

Stefan didn't fully agree with Damon teaching her, and wanted to help as well, but he accepted the fact that she needed the help of his brother and that she just understood Damon's way of living the vampire life more than his way.

Candice was brought back to reality when she suddenly bumped into Damon who stood still right in front of her. With a scowl she looked up and saw a satisfied smirk making its way on his face. She rolled her eyes, "What?" She said and his expression slowly turned more serious. She hated it when that happened, it was always a bad sign when Damon turned serious.

"Look, today we are going to do something that you'll either hate me for or you'll love me even more." Damon said as he took in her expression, obviously trying to read her emotions. "Or maybe a little in between." He added and Candice looked at him confused, "What are you talking about?" wondered and he pulled her a little to the side, away from the busy crowd around them.

His eyes scanned her face and with a sigh he said, "Candice, last time I was here, I met a woman who resembled you a lot." He started in a very certain manner and she slowly started to understand what he was going at. "I talked to her and asked her some questions.." He said but Candice interrupted him, "Don't you mean compelled?" She lightly joked, trying to slow her wildly thudding heart. "I might have compelled her, yes. But that's not what matters. I asked her if she knew someone named Candice, and she said she used to have a daughter whose name was Candice." Damon said and his eyes were rapidly scanning her face again.

"And you are saying you want me to bring to her?" Candice guessed and he nodded, "Only if you want to know about the story why she left you." Candice thought for a second, trying to fight an inner battle with herself. She wanted to know the family that left her own daughter behind but she was scared for what she would find. "Can't you tell me what happened?" Candice hopefully asked him but he shook his head. "I didn't ask for the story. I figured that if she was going to tell it, it was better if you were there as well." Candice heaved a sigh, that was really considerate of him but not what she needed right now.

Yet, her curiosity took the better of her and so she nodded in agreement, "Okay, I'll visit her." She said, not entirely sounding confident but he nodded and they left to find his car.

When they were finally driving, she couldn't help but wonder how he knew where she lived, and so she asked him about it. "You see, when I compelled her to tell the truth, I also compelled her to think that we were very close friends and that I would stop by soon so she gave me her address." Damon explained, "It had to be done. It would be the only way to know for certain that she would invite me into her house when we would show up." Candice raised an eyebrow, "So, you already knew I was going to say yes?" Damon shook his head, "No, it was a 50/50 chance. I just figured I should be one step ahead in case you did say yes." He casually shrugged and she nodded understandingly, thinking that that was a pretty logical think to do.

They only had to drive for five minutes until they arrived at their destination. It was a street filled with a row of white houses and Damon guided her to one of the houses with a hand on the small of her back in a comforting manner.

Honestly, she was very grateful to have him by her side right now. She was incredibly nervous and didn't know what or who to expect at all. Candice nervously ran a hand through her hair as they were now standing in front of the door.

A hand slipped carefully into hers and when she looked down at the hands, she could see their fingers interlocking and then looked up at Damon who gave her a reassuring smile and squeezed her hand a little. He pressed on the doorbell and Candice listened to a faint sound of a pair of footsteps making its way to the door.

When the door opened, she had absolutely no idea what to think. There, in front of her stood a woman that reminded her so much of herself and all she could do was stupidly blink at her. The woman immediately recognized Damon and greeted her like an old friend and invited the both of them inside with a broad smile.

It was then when the door closed behind them, that the woman introduced herself to Candice as Alexa Walker. Alexa and Candice shook hands as Candice warily introduced herself, "I'm Candice Salvatore." The three of them walked into a medium sized living room that had a very casual but yet a neat looking design. Two grey couches were placed in front of each other by a windows and a fireplace stood in between. A girl laid on the couch, her blonde hair tied into a messy bun and she was wearing a white tank top with grey sweatpants. The girl didn't look older than took one of her earphones out of her ear and greeted the two strangers with a smile and shook both Candice's hand and Damon's hand as Alexa introduced her, "This is my daughter, Olivia Walker."

Olivia put the earphone back into her ear when her mother was done introducing and continued watching something that was playing on the laptop in her lap.

Candice looked at the picture that hung above the fireplace, there it displayed a happy family of four as each one was smilingly staring into the camera. Alexa stood next to a man that had similar eyes to Olivia and Olivia was sitting on a chair in front of the two adults, holding a second child on her lap that had the same blue eyes as Alexa.

Damon turned to Alexa and made sure to maintain perfect eye contact as he said, "You will now remember what we talked about when we first met. And you will answer every question that Candice asks honestly." Damon spoke in his low, compelling voice and Alexa focused her eyes on Candice.

"You said your name was Candice?" She spoke with curiosity and Candice nodded. "Are you.." Alexa wondered out loud and Candice finished her sentence, "Your daughter? Yes, I am." 

A look of terror filled her earlier friendly features and Candice decided to question immediately, wanting to get this over with. "Why did you leave me alone in our old house fourteen years ago?" Candice asked shakily, finally being able to ask the question that has been on her mind for ages.

Alexa sat down on the other couch as she stared at the ground and carefully began to speak, telling the absolute truth like Damon had compelled her to do. "Your birth was an accident, and a very unfortunate one at that as well. Don't get me wrong, your father and I.. we both loved you nonetheless, but it was a very bad timing. Before you were born, we barely had enough money to feed ourselves and then when you were born, it was even more complicated to take care of the family. But we managed to get through it for a couple of years." Alexa said as she stared at the wall behind Damon and Candice, deeply in thought.

"That is, until after four years after your birth, we had to make a choice. It was either us three going down together, or leaving you behind and us being able to live our poorly life without you." Alexa said in utter embarrassment. "And you chose to safe yourselves." Candice finished saying what Alexa didn't dare to say out loud.

"We knew it was the most selfish thing to do, but it went all too fast to feel guilty about it. The moment we made that decision, we started to empty our house and by the time we were done, it was night time and you were peacefully sleeping in your little bed." Tears popped into Alexa's eyes at the memory of her abandoned child.

Candice looked around the house and again at the family portrait. Alexa saw where she was looking at and explained the picture. "That man is your father, Jake Walker. Olivia and the little girl named Ava are your sisters." She explained in a soft voice.

"This doesn't make sense." Candice said confused and felt Damon's thumb stroking her hand lightly in a comforting manner, letting her know that he was there for her when she needed him.

Alexa swallowed loudly as she continued her story, "Before we left you, we found out that I was pregnant of another child, Olivia." She said and Candice's eyes drifted to the girl on the couch who was clearly too focused on the little screen to notice their conversation. "We didn't only leave you because we wanted a better life, but also because we couldn't feed another mouth. So we decided to leave the daughter that was already born and breathing so we could raise the one that had yet to be born and find her way into this world." Alexa said and Candice felt a pang of jealously but shrugged it off when she found that silly. Why would she be jealous of someone she didn't even know?

"Yet, you have two daughters to feed and you seem to be perfectly able to take care of them." Candice noted and Alexa stood up, feeling a little more stable to stand on her own two feet. "That's because four years ago, Jake got promoted at work so we got more money to take proper care of Olivia and the newborn." Alexa explained. Candice chuckled on the inside about the irony of the fact that Ava was as old as she was right now when her parents left her all alone.

Candice looked at Alexa and scoffed, "And you never bothered to look for your daughter that you so easily left behind?"

"Do you think it was easy for me to leave my own daughter behind? It hurts me more than you'll ever know. But I didn't look for you because I figured you'd probably be living a better life than I would have ever been able to give you. And honestly, would you want a person like me as your mother? Someone who left her own flesh and blood behind so she could take care of someone else to give all her love to?" Alexa said, raising her voice slightly and Candice fumed and felt her grip on Damon's hand becoming stronger.

"I don't think your hurt has been as bad as mine was when I woke up to find a complete empty house. No furniture except for the bed that I was sleeping in and when I was so abruptly woken up because of the nightmare I had and went to look for my parents to comfort me when I was crying my heart out only to end up disappointed to not find anyone, how do you think I felt?" Candice said outraged and fought the tears threatening to escape.

It was silent for a minute and Candice calmed herself down a little, "You're right. I'm glad you didn't look for me, I am indeed better off with the family I have now. So, thank you for not bothering to bring your pitiful ass on my doorstep." Her voice sounded careless but on the inside, she was fuming with rage and couldn't wait to get out of here.

Candice lifted her head up to her right so she could look at Damon and he nodded, immediately understanding her needs and he let her hand go as he walked over to Alexa, compelling her to forget about their little visit and about the existence of both of them. Telling her to forget she ever had a daughter named Candice.

Candice walked over to Olivia with a forced smile, thinking it was strange that that was her own sister. Olivia looked up at Candice with a smile as well and took one of her earphones out of her ear again. "Are you leaving?" She chirped and Candice nodded. "It was nice meeting you, have a safe trip home." Olivia said with a genuine smile.

Candice captured the green eyes of Olivia's with her own blue eyes and clearly articulated what she wanted to say. "You'll forget that we were ever here, and continue living your life without ever questioning the love your parents give you. They love you unconditionally and _will give up anything for you_." Candice said and when Damon and she were both finished, they left with vampire speed before their compulsion was fully settled into Olivia's and Alexa's brains.

They were back in their hotel room and Candice was sprawled out on the bed, not having said a word ever since their visit to the Walker family. It felt very surreal for her to know that her official name was Candice Walker and found it highly disturbing as well. It was a good thing that she was known by the government as Candice Salvatore, though.

The bed shifted slightly as Damon laid next to her on the bed. "If I had known that the story went like this, I wouldn't have taken you." He said but Candice shook her head. "I'm glad you took me. It's not great to know that I was carelessly abandoned but at least I know the reason why, now. So I am thankful for that." Candice said with an underlying tone of both hurt and anger.

Candice looked at Damon and scrunched her eyebrows a little, she didn't know when or how it happened but there was a sudden change in emotions. The anger remained but the hurt replaced itself with something she hadn't expected: lust. Her actions were entirely ahead of her brain when she realized that her lips were tightly pressed against his.

Damon used his vampire speed to pull them both of the bed and push them into the wall with his lips still connected to hers. "Candice.." He tried to reason but she would have none of it. She needed this right now, she needed _him._ So long she has been holding back, and the emotions she felt right now, were the perfect excuse to finally act on her true desires.

They were both constantly battling for control until at one point Candice gave up and let Damon rule her body. They used the wall as their support and in a husky voice, Damon whispered in her ear, "Let me show you the other way to feed. Just like I said I would."

Candice looked at his face and watched the sclera of his eyes turning blood-red, dark veins appeared under his eyes as the blood pumped forcefully through them and his canine teeth extended into razor-sharp fangs.

With his elongated fangs he bit into his own hand and brought it to her lips and she greedily accepted it as she bit her own fangs into his bite and kept on sucking on his hand.

His head lowered as he scraped with his fangs against the soft surface of her neck and then gently bit into it. The overwhelming pleasure the feeding brought was nearly enough to send her over the edge, but Damon wouldn't have any of that yet. She was going to be in for a very long and hot night.


End file.
